The Devil's Thief (2 page)

“So
you want my pearl, do you?” he asked, his voice smooth and suggestive.

Julianna’s
gaze darted up to his shadowed face, but she could see nothing. The anger and
amusement in his voice, however, had been replaced by something else.
 
Something that made her distinctly
nervous, considering that he was naked and she was caught.

He
slowly moved toward her. As he approached, she saw that he was indeed holding a
pistol. She wasn’t all that knowledgeable about guns, but at that moment her
primary concern was that the gun might contain a bullet, and she really did not
care to be shot this evening. When he stopped in front of her, Julianna
couldn’t take her eyes away from the gun.

She
was so intent on the pistol, she was startled when she felt his finger under
her chin, urging her gaze upward. She met his eyes and a measure of her fear
must have shown on her face.

“I
don’t need this, do I?” he murmured, lowering the pistol. Julianna vehemently shook
her head. He smiled at her response, and then released the trigger gently. He
leaned over and set the gun down on a nearby table. Julianna was so
relieved,
she leaned back against the wall, her knees weak.

“Why
do you want my pearl?” he asked quietly. He reached out and gently brushed a
fallen lock of hair off her cheek, his finger trailing along from her forehead
to her jaw.

He
was so close and so unguarded, and a dozen scenarios of how she could escape
this unfortunate situation flashed through Julianna’s mind. But each one ended
in violence, and she found herself strangely unwilling to attack him. He had
put the gun down, as foolish as that might have been, which represented a
modicum of trust that she did not want to betray.
 
The truth was, her odds of escaping were
fairly slim. The only feasible exit was the window, and it was too far away to
make it there without being caught. And if she ran, this odd truce would surely
be at an end.

“I
need the money.” She surprised herself by answering his question.
Although surely the answer should have been obvious to him.
Why else would someone steal something?

That
wicked finger of his trailed down her neck and pushed open the collar of her
shirt. He slowly and very lightly rubbed the pad of his finger along her
collarbone and Julianna shivered. She should not, absolutely
should not,
be letting him do that. But
it felt delicious, and no man had ever touched her like that. No man had ever
gotten close enough to do so. She supposed she should protest his familiarity,
but the circumstances were not in her favor. And really, what was she going to
do to stop him? If she wanted to, that is.

“Do
you?”

His
murmured words did strange things to Julianna’s insides. She’d found men
attractive before, but she’d never desired one. She shook her head at her
wayward thoughts.
No, no.
That way
led to trouble. If she’d learned anything from her father’s devious romantic
entanglements, it was
that
. Desire
was one thing; surrendering to it, and the potentially disastrous consequences,
was quite another thing entirely.

“No?
You don’t need the money?” He stopped rubbing along her collarbone, and
Julianna felt the skin and muscles there tighten and jump in protest. Surely
that was not good.

“No,”
she said loudly, and his head jerked back a little in surprise. Julianna
blinked rapidly and then shook her head again. She was so completely out of her
depth in this situation that his mere touch confused her. “I mean, yes, yes I
do need the money. For rent, you see.”

She
winced at her garbled explanation. Could she possibly sound any more foolish?
It would be better if she just kept silent.

“Are
you desperate, poppet?” he murmured. He was looking at her oddly, his head
tipped to the side. His finger resumed its exploration of her collarbone, adding
a new twist as he dragged it down one side of her deep, open shirt collar and
back up the other side. Julianna shivered and bit her lip to suppress a
whimper. “How desperate? I wonder,” he said, and Julianna wasn’t sure if he was
talking to her or to himself.

He
stopped the movement of his finger but left it pressed against the hollow dip
between her collarbones. Good lord, she’d never imagined that area could be so
extremely sensitive. It would be difficult to expose her throat and shoulders
in the latest fashions without remembering his touch. He had managed to make
such a simple caress feel sinfully erotic.
What
a delightfully wicked man he is turning out to be.
She smiled at the
thought, and she saw an answering spark in the narrowing of his pale eyes and
the twist of his lips into a wry smile. Julianna immediately pulled back,
breaking their contact. She was being a fool, encouraging him when she should
be trying to talk her way out of the situation. What on earth was wrong with
her? Despite appearances, she had never engaged in conversation, or anything
else for that matter, with a naked man. She was about to tell him as much when
he spoke again.

“Do
you know what I will do?” he asked conversationally, as he stepped back from
her. He smiled politely before turning and walking over to the bed. He leaned
against the bedpost, crossing his arms as he regarded her.

Julianna
was having trouble thinking of anything except how much she missed his touch.
“I . . .” She paused to lick her lips, and his smile grew. “I have no idea,
frankly. This situation is beyond me.” Julianna could not imagine how she was
going to get out of this mess. She was so scared at the thought of being turned
over to the authorities that she could hardly think. She couldn’t reveal her
identity. Doing so would create a furor, producing a whole new set of problems
for her. But how else was she going to convince him of her innocence when she
had his pearl in her pocket? She’d always expected to come to a bad end—her
father was a thief, after all, and she’d had no mother to raise her.

At
her honest and exasperated remark, Mr. Sharp laughed out loud. He was her
adversary. She had to remember that, if she hoped to get out of this situation unscathed.

He
straightened and took a step toward her. “I’ll give you the pearl, my dear.”

Julianna’s
mouth dropped open in astonishment. “What?”

“For
one night in my bed. Tonight.”

*
         
*
         
*

When
he had run his finger down her cheek, Alasdair had felt how fine her bone
structure was, with sharply defined cheekbones and a strong, square jaw, not to
mention her soft, smooth skin. Now a shaft of pale moonlight that had crept
across the room revealed her astonished expression. From her silence he assumed
she was contemplating his offer. She really was the most awful thief, unable to
conceal anything in that guileless face, the poor darling. A dark kerchief
covered most of her hair, though some had escaped to rest in wisps against her
cheeks. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t place her. He would figure
it out in the morning, when there was more light.

 
Clearly she’d been reduced to trying to
steal the pearl by the most desperate of circumstances. God only knows what
else she had needed to do to keep the wolf from her door.
Such
a small thing to have so many burdens on her delicate shoulders.
In the
morning he would make arrangements for her. After breakfast they would go
shopping for clothes and those fripperies that women loved so. And then he would
call on his agent and they’d find a nice little house for her, perhaps here in
London, or someplace just outside of the city. He was getting tired of the
society here. It would be nice to have a pleasant little house and his little
thief there to keep him company at night. She would never again have to sneak
into a man’s bedchamber to commit larceny in order to keep a roof over her
head. Alasdair would see to that, even after they parted company.

“Well?”
he prompted, pleased with his plans.

She
frowned at him and he nearly laughed. She really was delightful. When a man
went to bed at night, he never knew what might await him the next time he
climbed out of it. He certainly hadn’t been prepared for her. When he’d first
become aware of the stranger sneaking around in his rooms, he’d expected to
spend the better part of his night dealing with the watchmen. What a marvelous
surprise she was turning out to be.

“I
need a moment to think,” she snapped at him.

He
raised his brows, a little surprised at her tone. “Well, that’s hardly
flattering.”

In
the weak moonlight he saw her delicate brows go up, mocking him. “Why? Did you
expect me to joyously throw myself against your manly chest at the first
opportunity? I am not that inexperienced, Mr. Sharp.”

Well,
when she put it that way it was even less flattering, especially since that was
exactly what he had been thinking. “I do not doubt your experience, my dear. I
am simply offering to give you what you came here for.”

“I
did not come here for
that
.”

The
way she said “that” told Alasdair more than her words. Clearly she had never
had a pleasant experience in a man’s bed. He didn’t doubt that she’d been in
one before. But he was offering her so much more than one night. He wanted to
pleasure her, to hear her cry his name in ecstasy.
Yes, he always liked that part
. He smiled at the thought.

She
frowned harder when she saw his smile. “And if I . . . lay with you tonight, will
you swear to give me the pearl in the morning?”

“If
that is still what you want,” he answered, knowing full well she would have
other things on her mind by morning. He’d spent the better part of his wayward
youth learning to please a variety of lovers, and he knew this delightful
little thief would get more than she was bargaining for.

She
shook her head firmly. “No. I want your word. If I . . . stay here tonight,
with you, I want your word that you will give me the pearl in the morning.”

He
took a moment to study her. When he’d first heard her voice, he’d gotten the
impression of delicacy—an impression that was strengthened when he stood
over her, touching her. She seemed small, fragile, with big, luminous eyes, a
small nose, and a wide, generous mouth just made for love. Surely a mouth like
that couldn’t lie. But he’d almost forgotten that she was a thief. She had
broken into his home with the intention of stealing from him. No matter how
guileless and innocent her face, she lacked moral character. For some perverse
reason, that made him want her all the more.

“I
have said I will if that is what you desire.” He could see that his answer
didn’t satisfy her.

“Say
it,” she demanded. “Say, ‘I will give you the pearl tomorrow morning after you
have lain with me tonight.’ Give me your word of honor.”

Ah,
so the immoral little cat hoped to tangle him in his own honor, did she? Well,
he had no qualms about making promises to thieves in the night. “You have my
word of honor, my dear. I will give you the pearl in the morning after you have
lain with me tonight.” He knew the words were a lie even as he spoke them. But
he also knew that the money and gifts he would give her in the morning would
more than make up for it.

He
took a step closer and saw her eyes widen. Her gaze seemed to be in constant
motion, as if she was too nervous to let it alight on any one part of his
exposed person. He found it charming regardless of whether it was true or a
performance for his benefit.

“But
you will do more than lie with me, my dear,” he whispered, noting with
satisfaction the shiver along her shoulders. She licked her lips again, and
Alasdair went from firm interest to hard desire as he followed the path of her
tongue along the plump folds of her lips, now wet and glistening in the
moonlight. “I will make you cry tonight, little thief. I will make you moan and
beg and cry out with pleasure.” With each word her eyes grew larger and more alarmed.
“Now, are you still willing to make this bargain?”

*
         
*
         
*

Julianna
was terrified. Because some part of her, some clearly perverse and heretofore
unknown part of her, desperately wanted this beautiful naked man to make her
cry and beg. But it wasn’t about what Julianna wanted, was it? It was about
what she needed. And she needed that pearl. She had no other options. It was
too late to look for funds elsewhere. And if she didn’t pay the solicitor
within the week, the children would all be out on the street. She had worked so
desperately to shield them from the harsh realities of their life, to provide a
safe home and a happy future for them. All would be lost if she lacked the
courage to accept this bargain. Truly, it would ruin her if she failed to produce
the rent. Ruin her chance at independence, her chance to prove she was capable
of taking care of herself and others. The failure would hang over her head,
branding her incompetent and unworthy. And that would be the ultimate failure
on her part. She would lose the children and so much more.

She
nibbled on her fingertip as she debated with herself. Her virginity certainly
hadn’t ever helped her up until now. After all, it wasn’t as if she was saving
herself for someone. True, she was untouched, but that had been by choice. She
had never wanted to give herself to any man before, either in bed or in
matrimony. She very much doubted that would change after a night in bed with
Mr. Sharp, who most certainly did not have matrimony on his mind. If she
was
honest with herself, she’d admit her attraction to him
was part of the reason she’d decided on this mad scheme. Surely this weakness
she harbored for him would pass if she surrendered to it for one night? Then
she could move forward, take care of business, and forget Mr. Sharp entirely.
It was a business proposition, nothing more. She had seen countless men and
women, her father included, walk away from affairs such as this without a
backward glance. She knew Mr. Sharp had done so in the past. She saw no reason why
she couldn’t do the same.